August 2009: How Google beat Amazon and Ebay to the Semantic Web (Ftrain.com)

August 2009: How Google beat Amazon and Ebay to the Semantic Web (Ftrain.com): "Google allowed you to search for buyers and sellers, and then, using a service shamelessly copied from the then-ubiquitous PayPal, handled the transaction for a 1.75% charge. Sure, people could send checks or contact one another and avoid the 1.75%, but for most items that was your best bet - fast and cheap. 1.75% plus advertising and a global reach, and you can count on millions flowing smoothly through your accounts. "